A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, sitting in Maitama, Abuja, has remanded former Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, Danladi Umar, in Kuje Correctional Centre over alleged corruption.
Justice Peter Kekemeke gave the remand order on Thursday after the Federal Government arraigned the former CCT boss on a four-count charge bordering on alleged abuse of office and conferring undue advantage on himself while serving as head of the tribunal.
Umar pleaded not guilty to the charges.
According to the Federal Government, investigations allegedly revealed that Umar abused his official position by using his wife’s bank account to receive money from contractors who handled jobs for the CCT.
In one of the counts, the prosecution alleged that in 2021, Umar used his wife’s bank account to receive ₦5.5 million from a contractor engaged to paint the headquarters of the CCT in Abuja.
The Federal Government further alleged that on January 25, 2024, the defendant also used his wife’s account to receive ₦6 million from a contractor who handled the digitisation of the CCT’s records.
He was also accused of directing another contractor to pay ₦2.43 million as tuition fee for his daughter at Baze University, Abuja.
The alleged offences were said to be punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
After the charges were read to him, prosecution counsel, Christopher Mshelia, applied for Umar to be remanded in a correctional facility and urged the court to fix a date for trial.
However, Umar’s legal team informed the court that a bail application had been filed on his behalf and urged the judge to release him on bail pending the determination of the case.
The prosecution opposed the immediate hearing of the bail application, saying it had just been served and needed time to respond.
Justice Kekemeke consequently adjourned the matter until July 15, 2026, for hearing of the bail application and ordered that Umar be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending that date.
Umar’s arraignment marks another major development in the long-running controversy surrounding his tenure as CCT chairman.
While in office, Umar presided over the Code of Conduct Tribunal during the politically sensitive trial of former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen.
On January 23, 2019, he issued an ex parte order that led to Onnoghen’s suspension from office.
Two days later, then-President Muhammadu Buhari swore in Justice Tanko Muhammad as Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria.
Although Onnoghen later resigned on April 4, 2019, the tribunal under Umar went ahead to convict him on April 18, 2019, over allegations of false asset declaration.
The tribunal also ordered the forfeiture of monies in five bank accounts linked to the former CJN and removed him as Chairman of both the National Judicial Council and the Federal Judicial Service Commission.
Umar was later removed from office by the Senate in 2024 over allegations of gross misconduct.
The Senate had relied on Section 157(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, after considering several allegations relating to corruption, absenteeism, misconduct and other complaints against him.
The motion for his removal was sponsored by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, who argued that the CCT, as a statutory institution responsible for enforcing integrity and accountability in public office, must itself be led by persons of high moral standing.
Umar had also faced public criticism over a widely reported altercation with a security guard in Abuja while he was still CCT chairman.
With the latest arraignment, the former tribunal chairman will remain in custody pending the hearing and determination of his bail application.
He has not been convicted of the allegations.